The transition out of academia can involve a good deal of change. For PhDs who enjoy writing, a career in medical communications is a viable option. The field of medical writing is broad, encompassing everything from regulatory affairs, to writing and editing manuscripts, to medical education and promotion. Despite numerous novel experiences offered by medical writing, several skills typically acquired during the course of a PhD programme align nicely with the new requirements and responsibilities. From the perspective of a medical communications agency, PhDs form an important bridge between the need for deep and thorough biomedical knowledge and the daily responsibilities of writing, editing, educating and promoting. Should one choose to apply these skills to medical writing, the result can be an interesting and enjoyable work for the PhD, and a benefit to the employing agency.